According to the American Psychological Association,
77% of people report experiencing some physical symptom due to stress. That’s a high percentage, though not
surprising given the fast-paced, high-tech world we live in every day. The brain’s response to either real or
perceived changes in our environment can not only wreak havoc in our daily
lives, it can also lead to serious conditions including, heart disease, high
blood pressure, diabetes, depression and anxiety disorders.

Your body was designed to respond to
stress for purposes of protection and survival.
When exposed to danger, specific chemicals are released in the brain,
causing your pulse to quicken and your muscles to tense. This prepares you to either fight off an
attacker, or flee to safety. In the
short-term, stress can be good. When the
body is in a tense state over long periods of time however, the effects can be
harmful.

With chronic stress, the chemicals
released in the brain that allow for fight or flight in the short-term may
actually deplete the body over time, weakening the immune system, and
negatively impacting the digestive, excretory and reproductive systems.